It's Your Nightmare
by Illusion of Insanity
Summary: Don't fall asleep. If you do, all of your insecurities shall emerge from their darkest corners and drag you down into an abyss of suffering. The calmer a person is by day, the stronger the nightmare under the surface. No matter how far you run while you're awake, you cannot escape the darkness that lingers inside of your own mind. Escape is impossible. You shall be left to suffer.
1. If Only I Hadn't Jumped—

_"Don't fall asleep. If you do, all of your insecurities shall emerge from their darkest corners and drag you down into an abyss of suffering. The calmer a person is by day, the stronger the nightmare under the surface."_ _—Illusions Of Insanity_

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><p><strong>Leaf<strong>

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><p>My footsteps have never been so quiet.<p>

As I walked through the strange mists, I found myself growing further and further unnerved. Soon I found that this mist was in fact snow, and that the reason behind my muted footsteps was the blanket of snow underfoot. My thoughts were as empty as the very peak of my past, becoming nothing but the echoes of the wind and snow.

I lifted my eyes from my feet and soon found myself looking off into a grey sky. _So, I'm back._ The voice in my mind echoed around me as I stared off into the heavy clouds. _No matter how far I run, I always end up back at this snowy peak._ Disgust rose in my gut as I looked around. Those pesky ice shards stabbed through my brown, ragged cloak and left me gasping for air. A sickening swirl in my chest made me desperate to escape this nightmare I was trapped inside of.

As I took a step backwards, a voice entered this ghostly remnant.

_"So, you decided to come back."_

I took a harsh breath and spun around. There, standing within arm's length, was a face I never thought I would ever see again. His black hair was thoroughly yanked about by the sudden bitter wind that had turned into a howling gale. His thick crimson eyes made a shiver run down my spine as I found them glaring right through me. His jacket was loose in the wind, billowing about at his left as the wind seemed to try to pull him aside.

"Red," The name escaped me as he narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "I never thought I would see you again." Just as I was about to extend an arm towards him, a second figure appeared out of the white abyss.

_"You were supposed to be dead."_

I found my eyes stinging as I looked upon the second person I had left behind. His brunette hair was still reminiscent of a Sandslash's back, standing up at every angle and creating a danger to any passing eyes. His black shirt was still just as it was, the collar up straight and flapping in the wind. A glimmer of light proved that his favorite necklace was still a vital part of his outfit, making me realize just how little they had changed.

I found myself smiling as I reached for them. "Green, Red...I've missed you so much." I swallowed down a lump in my throat and took a step to close in on them. "I'm so sorry that I was such an idiot. I should have never put fame before my friends—" My melting words were interrupted by Red grabbing my arm and roughly digging his fingers into my skin. My eyes grew wide as I focused on his complexion.

His skin was as white as a dead man's.

"You don't seem to understand, Leaf." His voice was hollow and echoing, sounding as if he was in a cavern. A somehow sickening smile grew on his face as Green stood beside him. "You are supposed to be dead." I blinked in confusion as my arm started to ache in his grasp. I was certain that I would start to bleed from his fingernails digging into my skin. Before I could question his words, Green spoke up.

"You see, you fell off that cliff and disappeared forever." His voice was just as Red's was, being a painful echo of something once filled with laughter. "In all sense of the word, you should be dead. A girl who falls off a cliff should be dead, not walking among the living."

"That's just it." I felt myself choking as Red continued to glare at me. "I didn't die. I jumped but I didn't fall. Ignis stopped me from dying! He plucked me out of the sky and snapped some sense into me! I shouldn't have jumped! I was just a coward!" Green started to grin alongside Red as they both took a step closer. They then both opened their mouths in the exact same instant and spoke words that made my blood freeze.

_"Then we should fix that right away."_

Disbelief flooded my veins as I looked at them. _What in the world are they— _Before I could even finish my thought, they roughly grabbed me and pulled my to their chests. I gasped for air as Red's arm snaked around my throat and choked me. Green held my arm from pulling the boy with red eyes off of me, while my other arm was held behind my back. Every time I tried to take a breath or to speak, Red simply tightened his grip on my throat.

Slowly, painfully, they lead my to the edge of Mt. Silver's peak. I looked down with horror flooding my mind before looking back at the two I had once cared so much about. I managed to sneak a gasp as I found their eyes void of any pupils, simply existing as pools of blood and some green liquid. A laugh escaped them as I struggled against their grip.

"Well, my dear Leaf," The remnant of Red's voice found a place in his mind as I watched him glare down at me. "It seems that this is where your journey ends. Such a shame that someone so young would slip out of this world so soon." He then laughed before giving a sharp yank on my captive right arm. Silent tears of pain slipped out as a hot bolt raced up my shoulder.

"Indeed, it's such a shame." Green was the next to speak, but just as Red, his mouth didn't move. "A girl so young and promising throws it all away for fame. It's truly a shame. It seems that even the most beautiful things are corrupted at the core." He dug his nails into my left wrist as they took another step forward. The toes of my shoes sent countless pebbles to their demise as I lingered on the edge.

"Well then, it's time to leave this world, Leaf." Red's voice made a desperation rise in my mind. I couldn't struggle free, I couldn't breathe. I was trapped. "It's such a shame that you left us so soon. But, it just goes to show that even the most beautiful flowers die." Before I could even think, they released my arms and shoved me off the edge.

I found myself looking up at their grinning faces as the wind swirled around me. The clouds only hid them from sight as I slipped through the grey storm like a knife. My skin pricked at the cold bites on my arms and legs. I kept on falling as the sound of screams filled my ears. Only, this wasn't my scream. This was the scream of Red and the scream of Green as they called out for me to stop running. If only I had listened to them in that time, instead of launching myself off of that terrible cliff face.

_I took a deep breath before a shocking bolt of pain ripped through my body._

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><p><em>Author's Note: As the title suggests, this series is about the darkest nightmares of the beloved Trainers of the different regions. It's sorta a collection of one-shots for each of the unlucky dreamers, one for each of the Trainers. We're starting this off with the great Leaf Flagro, the first hero! Next up will be yet another member of the ill-fated Kanto Trio.<br>_

_Hope you stick around!_


	2. If Only I Hadn't Become the Hero—

_"I'm fed up! Fed up playing Greek chorus to your rehearsed nightmare!"—Samuel Fuller_

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><p><strong>Red<strong>

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><p>It never stopped snowing here.<p>

Everywhere I looked, I was surrounded by these terrible white ashes. They stabbed my eyes, they bit at my exposed arms, they even tried to choke me. All I saw was this world of white ashes and grey smoke as I stood atop of this towering grave. All I could ever do was to stand here and think of how I had failed her. She was so young, so precious to me...and I let her slip through my fingers. It was all my fault that she was gone.

I should have never become a Pokemon Trainer.

The chilling wind brushed my hair aside as I blinked out into the grey clouds. She had fallen right here, in this very spot. No, not fallen. She had jumped to her own demise, welcoming the swift end with open arms. To think that I had driven her to such a state only made my heart stop beating. I was left to stand guard over her grave and pay for my mistake. I was to never leave this place so long as I live.

_"You were never strong enough."_

Horror flooded my veins as I looked to my left. My heart froze in the cold as I found a pair of vibrant blue eyes glaring back at me. My hands shook as I looked her in the eye. The girl who I had lost, standing right before me. I rubbed my eyes and found her gone the second I lowered them. I swallowed down a bitter regret before turning back towards the west. I jolted as I found her standing there with hatred in her eyes.

"This is all your fault, Red." Her voice was hollowed and somehow only a whisper, a whisper that echoed through my mind. "If you hadn't taken everything from me, I would still be alive today." My eyes widened as I shook my head and struggled to find my voice. The second I lifted my head, I found her gone once again. However, just as before, she was there before me once again.

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" My voice was shrill with panic as she folded her arms and glared at me. A gaping hole appeared on her stomach, forcing me to avert my eyes to her face. I couldn't bare to look at that disgusting wound on her thin frame. "I never wanted all of this! All I wanted was to become a Pokemon Trainer and to travel Kanto, not to become a hero!" Leaf just let out a laugh as her brown locks whipped wildly beside her head.

"Save your excuses, Red! You know that this is your fault!" She took a step towards me and suddenly she was right at my nose with a hideous scowl. I struggled to breathe as an overwhelming stench filled the air. "You stole everything from me! My status as Champion, my achievements in filling the Pokedex, even my valiant efforts in taking out Team Rocket! All I wanted was to be a hero, and you just stole it from me!" Tears raced out of my eyes as she stared me down.

"I'm sorry!" My voice choked out through the snow and the burning in my throat. "I never wanted any of this! Fame, money, admiration; this was never what I wanted! I didn't mean to—" Before I could finish, Leaf grabbed my jacket and lifted my into the air. The comfort of a warm jacket became the curse of a tight suffocation as she held me high above her head. A devious grin took over her features as she looked up at my squirming figure.

"Apologies won't save you now, Red." She blinked for a single instant and when she opened her eyes, they suddenly lacked any color at all. They were simply white orbs with a pitch-black center, ghostly and haunting. "What I want is revenge, not words." A cold fear slipped down my spine as she took a step forward, closer to the edge she had plunged herself off of. "I'm going to make you feel the pain I did when you stole my life from me."

"Leaf!" I struggled against the pressure on my throat as she tightened her grip. "_Please_, don't do this! I never meant for any of this to happen! It was all an accident, a terrible accident! I never wanted you to—" She simply cut me off with a laugh before pulling me to her face. My last breaths billowed out as white smoke as I found myself looking back at me with wide eyes and pale skin.

_"Goodbye, Red."_

It was then that she thrust her arm out and sent me flying off the face of the mountain. The clouds did nothing to stop my fall as I fell to the same demise she had, leaving the world in a swift descent. The sound of her voice filled my mind, only this wasn't any of her words. No, this sound was the blood-curdling scream that must have escaped her as she was only mere feet from hitting the ground. The snow swirled around me and engulfed me in a cold coffin as I watched the grey earth race to meet me.

_I covered my face with my crimson jacket's sleeves only seconds before my head hit the ground._


	3. If Only I Had Stopped Her—

_"History...is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake."—James Joyce_

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><p><strong>Green<strong>

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><p>I didn't understand how I had managed to return to this awful place.<p>

The grass, soaked from the constant rain, sloshed under my feet. I walked ahead with almost robotic movements, unable to think anything in this desolate place. All the color around me seemed to be darkened and dulled with this constant downpour, furthering the dismal atmosphere. Every time I closed my eyes, I found myself returning to this hidden grave on the outskirts of Viridian City. My feet stopped abruptly as I reached a small stone slab in the ground.

It was a simple marker, nothing more than a birthdate, a day of death and her name. Those terrible people had thought it unfitting to give such a young girl an actual memorial for her untimely demise. No, they thought of her as a greed-driven monster that wanted nothing more to lead the populace astray with her claims of grand deeds. Little did those people know that those wonderful acts of greatness performed by their hero, the boy with red eyes, were given to the wrong person. Little did those fools understand that _she_ was the one to achieve all of these wonderful things. They were blind to this girl, even though she had existed long before she set out on her journey.

_"This never should have happened."_

I jolted at the sound of a familiar voice whispering behind me. I spun around only to find a ghost of the girl I had lost, her brunette locks fluttering in the rain despite a lack of wind. My breath caught in my throat as she lifted her chin to look me in the eye. Instantly, I was struck by the vibrant blues that still contained a powerful fire inside of them. She was no longer wearing her usual outfit of blue, instead she was wearing a white sundress. Such an outfit choice was unfit for this downpour, but I ignored this. I took a hopeful step forward as she stared blankly at me.

"Leaf! I can't believe—" I was cut off by the sound of a harsh growl. Before I could figure out what was going on, Leaf's face contorted into a terrible scowl. Her eyes became slits of hatred as the terrible sound of growling filled the air.

"You're to blame!" She sharply jerked her head upwards as the harsh tone of hatred met my ears. My heart turned to stone before dropping into my stomach. "This is all your fault! You should have stopped this from happening! I should have never trusted you!" I choked on a bitter feeling before shaking my head stubbornly.

"No! I didn't do it! I tried to stop you!" I lifted my chin in a desperate attempt to hold my ground. Tears stung at the edge of my eyes as she stood before me. "I never wanted this to happen, honest! If I could go back and change one thing, I would make sure that you never died!" A bitter laugh escaped her pale lips before she took a step forward.

"You are nothing but a liar, Green Oak!" Fear gripped my stomach as she continued to walk towards me. "You continue to lie when you know that this is _all_ your fault! If you had been smarter, then this wouldn't have ever happened!" She stopped right at arm's length and gave me a cold glare. "I should have _never_ trusted you and that fool with red eyes; all you did was betray me."

I shook my head with sharp tears to try to rid my mind of those terrible words. "_No_! I didn't do this! I would never hurt you like that! This was all just an accident—" I sputtered on my words as I found her hand at my throat, constricting any pleas I might have held in my chest.

"No," A sickening grin twisted her features as she lifted me high into the air. "Death is _never_ an accident." She took a step towards that cold marker as I struggled in her grasp. Terror flooded my systems as the ground below me suddenly shook and opened wide. "You'll soon learn just how it feels to die before you're ready." I opened my mouth to try to stop her, to keep her from doing this, but she simply laughed and hurled my inside of this gaping hole in the earth.

I opened my mouth with a scream, only to find someone else's voice passing through my lips. A cold horror emerged from my mind as I found that this scream belonged to _Leaf_, only seconds before she hit the cold ground and perished. I looked up for the last time to find her waving me goodbye with a smile, pleased with this terrible act of revenge.

_Not a single thought could emerge before the ground closed up on me and engulfed the world in black._

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><p><em>Author's Note: Well, that takes care of the Kanto Trio's nightmares. As you might have realized, they all revolve around the 'death' of Leaf Flagro and the cold guilt that came from such a terrible fate. Every single of these poor souls blames themselves for such a terrible thing, although all live with this guilt. Not a single one of them can ever seem to shake this terrible day from their minds, and so it haunts their nightmares.<em>

_Up next is my personal favorites, the Johto Trio! We shall soon see what haunts their nightmares..._

_(Edit: 11/21: Somehow the first paragraph and my hook-line switched to third person. Terribly sorry about that.)_


	4. If Only I Hadn't Become the Chosen One—

_"Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly found, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living._  
><em>All history is the record of man's signal failure to thwart his destiny..."—Henry Miller<em>

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><p><strong>Lyra<strong>

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><p>This wasn't right.<p>

My breath was reduced to harsh puffs of hot air as I staggered on my feet. Ahead of me, leaning against a tree trunk with horrified eyes, was my target. My eyes locked on to his horrified face, eyes wide until they were straining and shaking. His normally strong frame was reduced to a thin form, his jacket and jeans simply hanging off of his body as spasms of fear took over. I took a deep breath as the sharp, metallic stench overwhelmed my nostrils.

His fear was so thick, I could smell it.

"Please," His voice quivered as he tried to press himself up against the tree. "Lyra, don't do this. Please, you've already won the battle! I said I was sorry for being mean to you! Please, just stop—"

"You should have known better than this, —." His name slipped off my tongue with ease, and yet it never reached my ears. I didn't need that though. His namesake eyes told me all I needed to know. "I'm afraid to tell you that your days of running are over. You see," The edges of my vision fogged with a crimson mist as I glared at him. "You cannot hide from the great bird of fire."

Before he had a chance to panic, I launched myself at him and slammed my fist into the rough bark of the tree.

He immediately jumped and scrambled out of reach. Instead of high-tailing out of here while he had the chance, he remained there with his hands raised. "Please...Lyra." His eyes were wet with tears as I ripped my hand off the tree, leaving a black scorch mark on once perfect bark. "This isn't you. Please, just stop." I just laughed as a burning sensation slowly seeped out from my horrible scar, the terrible scar that reminded me that every step I took was preordained and controlled by a great phoenix.

The warmth raced up my arm and consumed my shoulder as I took a few painfully slow steps towards him. As the burn reached my cheek, my vision became stained with red. It wasn't a metaphorical red, no. This was a vibrant shade of blood that consumed all of the forms in my sight, turning them the matching shade of the dreaded discharge. The only thing left unaffected was my target, pale with sweat and backing away from me. I knew what this was. This...rage.

Ho-Oh's wrath was about to be unleashed, and I was the means of this release.

"_Lyra_!" He was screaming now, screaming in a tone of utter desperation. "_Please_, snap out of it! Why are you doing this?!" I just shakily lifted my head and gave him an insane grin. Some faded corner of my mind where this hatred hadn't reached yet screamed at me to stop this and get a hold of myself. I could feel the fear from the boy in front of me and from the deepest part of myself now. I couldn't stop. I had lost control.

I let out a sharp cry before launching myself at him once again, fists readied and trying to hit him with everything I had. Horror flashed in his eyes as he bobbed and weaved, desperate to avoid me. I could see his mouth moving with some screams, but I couldn't hear him. The only sound I heard was the dull thud of my heart and the crackling of the flames that had emerged from my knuckles. The orange gleamed on his wet cheeks as the flames danced in the reflections.

I didn't want this, and yet, I couldn't stop.

I suddenly managed to land a harsh blow on the boy's gut, sending him falling backwards and tumbling feet-over-head until he crashed into a tree. A murky film covered his vibrant eyes, those eyes that I loved. He seemed to quiver before spitting out a mouthful of blood. _His blood_. Blood that I had forced out of him. I felt nothing but a numb pressure as I walked towards him with narrowed eyes.

"It's time you paid for your sins, —." Yet again, his name was blotted out of my ears. "You have managed to escape your righteous punishment for far too long." I stopped right at his side, my mouth twisted into a devious grin. The red world only gave thin black lines for the scenery's objects, the only color reserved for the boy shaking at my feet. I released a chuckle before stooping down and picking him up with one hand on his jacket's collar.

The fear in his face was nothing compared to the terrible face that was reflected back at me.

Blood-red eyes gleamed as they peered back at me. Black rings emphasized this change in coloration and further contrasted the ghostly white that my skin had become. The squirming slowly faded as exhaustion took over. Eyelids drooping and thick lashes holding small dewdrops of saltwater captive, he was the very picture of desperate. However, in this state, I held not an ounce of sympathy. My mind revolted with loud yells of rejection and fear as I lifted my scarred right hand towards his face.

"Goodbye, Silver." The name rang out above all else as I grinned at my victim. My hand started to glow with that dreaded orange as the flames of Ho-Oh's punishment were summoned from deep within myself. My rival, the one I held so dear, simply looked at me with wide eyes and seemed to silently beg for mercy. But as much as I wanted to give him such things, I couldn't. I was no longer in control. The flames grew in size until they ate my hand and grew into a ravaging ball of red heat. I took a deep breath and suddenly launched the flames straight at his face.

_In that moment, it was over._

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><p><em>Author's Note: Lyra's greatest nightmare is just terrible and what is this— table flip/_

_So she fears losing control and hurting someone she cares about, i.e Silver. Ho-Oh's wrath is something she fears more than anything, for this raw hatred is beyond what she could ever control. When she's in this state, the great bird of rebirth is the one pulling the strings. Lyra is simply his 'vengeance puppet', as she said in "Irritation"._

_Well, looks like Silver's next. Hopefully, we won't have to go through such torture again..._


	5. If Only I Wasn't His Son—

_"Modern man likes to pretend that his thinking is wide-awake. But this wide-awake thinking has led us into the mazes of a nightmare in which the torture chambers are endlessly repeated in the mirrors of reason."—Octavio Paz_

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><p><strong>Silver<strong>

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><p>What was I doing?<p>

The Pokémon at my feet let out a proud roar before launching himself at a quivering form of green. I just lifted my chin and grinned as my Sharp Claw Pokémon attacked with a savage power that was strictly forbidden in Pokémon battles. But, I didn't care. I was going to become the best, no matter what the cost. Sneasel's cry of triumph rang out as a Chikorita fell to the ground with a long gash across its side. Sneasel paused to clean his claws as the fallen Pokémon's Trainer raced to pick up her Pokémon.

"Chiko! Chiko, please wake up!" Tears formed in bright hazels as I just shook my head and laughed. This girl before me was so weak, it was a surprise that she managed to survive this long. The girl snapped her head up with horror draining every inch of color from her face. "What did you do?! You...you..."

"Killed it?" A bitter choke came from the girl as I simply tilted my head and grinned. "Weak things die, little mouse. It's a fact of life." I took a step forward as she pushed away, the broken Pokémon on her lap with dull crimson eyes. Her brunette locks swarmed her shoulders as she lifted her head with wet eyes. Sneasel simply walked beside me with a grin, eagerly awaiting the next part of this match.

"Get away from me!" Her voice squealed as she pressed herself against a tree. "Please, just leave me alone!" I watched this sickeningly weak creature for a moment before laughing right in her face. Fear was the master of her situation, proving that every step I took was one that she dreaded.

"I'm afraid things don't work like that, little girl." I kneeled down to the ground as Sneasel snickered beside me. "You see, the victor receives quite a substantial amount of money. You haven't shown me a single coin yet." Her eyes widened as she shook in terror. I held out my hand expectantly with a grin. "So, fork over your Poké, little mouse."

"I-I don't have any money!" Her voice cracked with the tears that streamed down her pale cheeks. "Please, just leave me alone!"

A frown twisted on my face as I stood up. "You don't have any money?" I looked down at my partner as a twisted grin exposed sharp teeth. "What a pity..." I lifted my hand from my side and then snapped my fingers.

I might as well have pulled a trigger.

Sneasel launched himself at the little girl, shoving her Chikorita aside and pinning her to the ground. A sharp scream rang out as her head slammed into the dirt. Wide eyes reflected myself as I looked down on her immobile form. "You must have _something_ that you can give me." I kicked her foot out of my way as I walked to her side and found her bag. I snatched the yellow fabrics and started digging through it until I found something I wanted. Eventually, I found only a Trainer Card with her face plastered onto the thin plastic and a Pokégear that was clearly registered in her name. I scoffed at the lack of items and hurled them aside.

"Pathetic!" I slammed the bag down into the dirt, agitating a harsh cloud of dust that choked the girl. "You have absolutely _nothing_ I can take!" Tears continued to spill from her eyes, only now they were accompanied by quiet sobs. "What a waste of my time!" Sneasel simply lifted his head to look at me, waiting for his cue to act. I took a second look at the girl's face and suddenly recognized her from that Pokémon Lab I had just stolen my new Cyndaquil from. A grin appeared on my face as I recalled that she was the only witness to that theft of mine.

"So, Lyra Soul, was it?" The name rolled off my tongue as the memories of that morning flooded my mind. The girl didn't move. She simply continued to cry with wide eyes. "As it turns out, there _is_ something you can give me for winning." Shock flashed across her face for only an instant before it faded away entirely. I walked around to behind her head and watched as she quivered with fear. I took one last look at her face and found something gleaming in the reflection of her eyes.

Instead of myself grinning back at me, I found my father grinning at me in approval.

I didn't mind it. In fact, I felt a surge of pride at the fact that I was following in his footsteps. I was going to be the strongest Trainer in history. I wasn't here just to go on some stupid journey and become the Champion. I was here to prepare Johto for my father's conquest, and _nothing_ was going to stand in my way. Gym Leaders, Trainers, Champions, they didn't matter. I would take them all out and make my father proud of me.

I lifted my hand from my side yet again and snapped my fingers. A pair of twisted grins appeared on our faces as Sneasel launched his final attack. The girl let out a scream but was ultimately silenced, _permanently._

_I never realized how red grass could be._

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><p><em>Author's Note: Alright I lied this is probably just as bad as Lyra's part.<em>

_OK, Silver's fears a bit more common than Lyra's. First off, Silver fears losing. Whether it be people, matches or Pokemon, Silver hates to lose. Next, Silver fears his father, specifically become like his father. And finally, Silver fears betrayal. Therefore, a nightmare where he betrays someone he cares about and acts like his father is the worst thing he could possibly have._

_Up next is the last of the Johto Trio, Ethan! (Let's hope that this grim pattern is broken soon)_


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